User:Lise323/sandbox/Sex Based Affirmative Action in the United States

Sex Based Affirmative Action in the United States Sex based affirmative action refers to policies adopted by employers and educational institutions that allow for the consideration of sex as one factor in employment actions or admissions. Supporters of affirmative action for women justify the need for such plans on the basis of historical discrimination and lack of opportunity for women in many traditionally male dominated fields. Opponents complain that affirmative action plans legalize reverse discrimination by favoring less qualified women. The Supreme Court held in Johnson v. Transportation Agency, 480 U.S. 616, that sex based affirmative action does not violate Title VII's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex as long as it meets the two-pronged test announced in United Steelworkers v. Weber.